what is new ...

    So, into the New Year we go….its been a wonderful 2011. We celebrated our 25th year anniversary on October 13th. It was a great event with a big party for our fantastic customers, friends, family and crew. Tony and Lisa were happy to be celebrating such an awesome event and are looking towards the next 25 ( know anybody who wants to buy a nice little restaurant?…. just kidding).  We're going to make some new additions in the coming year.. adding a real live bar, Sunday Suppers and outdoor porch bar this summer. The bar is in the layout stages and we have a great bar menu in the planning with meatball sliders, fried olives, charcuterie and house made bratwurst. In the summer we will make the front porch a bar with bar menus from afternoon on. Sunday Suppers start January 8th with a prix fixe menu, we'll be featuring braised leeks with shaved egg and a dijon vinaigrette, a choice of braised short rib pot pie or seafood pot pie and apple bourbon upside down cake for $22.00. The menus we are building for this night are looking beautiful. We will be following with a southern menu, a french menu and a moroccan menu. Chef Ryan and Lisa have been having a great time testing menus and writing recipes. We'll be serving between 4:00 and 8:00, the theme will be casual and cozy and we will be taking reservations for any size party.
    In the past year here at The Good Table we have worked to buy far more local produce, meats, fish, cheeses and wine. With weekly trips to the farmers market and our own neighborhood farms we increased our local buying by 25% or so from the year prior. The kitchen spent more time experimenting with new foods to us and we swung through each seasons menu changes seamlessly. The servers many of them with us over 3 to 4 years had a good year too, one just got engaged, another is having baby #2, some started school and most had just the best time at the anniversary party!!
    We thank you all for your continued friendship and support. While celebrating the 25th a lot of memories were revisited and we laughed at all the missteps we may have made in those years and we are thrilled a lot of you lived through them and are still here with us. We here at the restaurant hope that all of you had a good year and are looking towards the future with a smile. This year we lost some beloved customers and they will be sorely missed. We spent some time doing charity fund raising and gave over $4,000.00 to various charities, but mostly to local food banks since the need is so deep. We won Best Breakfast in Maine again in the Restaurant Week challenge with our Creme Brulee French Toast and as always offer it up the first weekend of every month. We broke cinnamon buns records again this year with over 1,250 sold, wow. The baker is tired! It has been a busy year.
     New Years Eve was a smashing success and we are already writing the Valentines menu. We are looking ahead towards Sunday Suppers, Valentines Day and Maine Restaurant Week. Maine Restaurant Week is not to be missed and is the first week in March. lots of restaurants through out Maine will be participating. it is a fantastic chance to try new places either at your favorite place to dine or to try some place new or both. We will be showcasing a delicious three course menu. we will also be taking a limited amount of reservation for people participating in the Restaurant Week menu. Check out the menus and restaurants at mainerestaurantweek.com.
     So, all good things to everyone. Be well be happy, celebrate life. Its been said that just the act of smiling can lighten your heart, so smile big. Give and contribute what you can to all in this world that need a little help. To our snow birds Tony and Sylvia winter well and take a swim for us.

places we love. people we adore.

Harbor Fish Market: on Custom House Wharf in Portland the quisisental fish store. A must see on any visit to Portland. Our favorite fish mongers, the freshest and the best product www.harborfish.com
       
Jordan’s Farm: on Wells Road in Cape Elizabeth. They provides us with the best produce all season long. Penny grows a beautiful array of goods and is a treat to work with. www.jordansfarm.com
       
Alewives Farm: on Old Ocean House Road in Cape Elizabeth brings us the sweetest lobsters, great farm goods and does a hell of a job plowing us out each winter. www.capeelizabethfarms.com/Alwivesbrookfarm.html -
     
The Cheese Iron: on route one in Scarborough. More cheese knowledge then you could imagine and great Cuban sandwiches. www.thecheeseiron.com
    
Portland Farmers Market: on Congress Street or in Deering Oaks, a bounty of beauty. The hardest working people around we are blessed to have them. The produce, plants and flowers they bring to market make our jobs a joy.
         
Norm Jordan’s Flower Stand: on rt.77 in Cape Elizabeth. The most beautiful, pick your own, honor system flower stand you could ever hope for.
       
Coffee By Design: in Portland the best coffee and their philanthropic business practices are to be admired. www.coffeebydesign.com
              
Standard Baking: on Commercial Street in Portland. They set the standard always for hard to resist baked goods.

Norm’s Uptown, Downtown or BBQ:  in Portland its where most restaurant folks go for good, always consistent eats. www.normsbarandgrill.com

Five Fifty Five Restaurant: on Congress Street in Portland is our go to for delicious cocktails and fabulous dinner. Steve and Michelle’s attention to detail makes it a true treat for a well deserved evening out www.fivefifty-five.com

Flatbread: on Commercial Street in Portland just the best “pizza” anywhere. Their commitment  to organic and sustainable product is admirable and an inspiration to us all www.flatbreadcompany.com
                  
Scarborough Beach: we can’t tell you where this one is, we may be found on a monday. It's where we go to let go. The lifeguards, the surf, the sand, the rocks, the sandpipers and the belief that Lisa actually ‘owns‘ a small piece of it makes it our favorite place all summer long.